Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council, directly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for promoting peace efforts while conducting military operations against Iran.
The first Deputy Chair of the International Affairs Committee of the State Duma, Alexei Chepa, said the operations in Iran are unlikely to fully derail negotiations on Ukraine but warned that Russia may question whether the United States can act as an “impartial and honest” mediator.
Member of the Duma Defense Committee Andrei Kolesnik called for Russia to increase military support for Iran, saying that Russia “cannot allow Iran to be destroyed.”
The Kremlin typically uses Medvedev to express more extreme rhetoric than it is willing to articulate directly, yet the rhetoric still reflects the Kremlin's broader views. Russian authorities also often use Duma deputies as amplifiers for official messaging, particularly for domestic audiences.
The Kremlin has long sought to delay and stall peace negotiations on Ukraine, showing little interest in talks that fall short of its original war demands. At the same time, it has attempted to avoid provoking U.S. sanctions or other measures that could force Moscow into meaningful negotiations.
Russia has also tried to balance relations with the United States while maintaining ties with partners and allies that are adversaries of Washington, including Iran. The escalation in Kremlin rhetoric following the start of U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran on Feb. 28 suggests Moscow may be increasingly struggling to maintain that balance as the conflict develops.
Russia may also use its criticism of the United States as a negotiating partner to shift responsibility for any future failure of negotiations on the war in Ukraine.